Police on the scene after Destini Smothers’ body was found in the trunk of a car on March 10, 2021 in Queens (Photo: Christina Santucci/Queens Post)
July 7, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
A man who allegedly killed his girlfriend in November 2020 and dumped her body in the trunk of a car in Queens has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder, kidnapping and other crimes.
Kareem Flake, 30, who was on the run for more than a year before being apprehended in Florida in April, has been charged with murdering his girlfriend Destini Smothers of Troy, NY. He was extradited to New York Wednesday.
He is accused of killing Smothers—a 26-year-old woman and mother of his two children—who was reported missing in November 2020. The victim’s remains were discovered four months later in the trunk of an abandoned vehicle that belonged to Flake in South Jamaica, Queens.
Kareem Flake (NYPD)
“This defendant is now in custody and charged with the brutal murder of his girlfriend, who was also the mother of his two young children,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “This is the worst possible outcome for any individual experiencing intimate partner violence, and we express our condolences to the victim’s family.”
Flake, also from Troy, was arraigned Wednesday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Donna Golia on a seven-count indictment.
He is charged with murder in the second degree, kidnapping in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and tampering with physical evidence. Flake faces 25 years-to-life in prison if convicted.
Smothers body was discovered by a tow truck driver on March 10, 2021, who had been called out to pick up an abandoned vehicle.
Police on the scene after Smothers’ body was found in the trunk of a car (Photo: Christina Santucci)
The driver began towing the vehicle and discovered the grisly sight soon after he stopped his truck outside 150-08 Lefferts Blvd. when the tires on the Camry stopped moving. He looked for a spare tire in the trunk of the Camry and found her body.
Smothers had been missing since Nov. 3, 2020, and was last seen outside Bowlero bowling alley, located at 69-10 34th Ave in Woodside. She had been celebrating her birthday with Flake and friends.
Smothers’ friends were actively looking for her following the party and had set up a Facebook page as a means to find her.
The page said that she went missing shortly after she got into a heated argument with Flake outside the bowling alley.
The case was ruled a homicide when the medical examiner determined Smothers was killed by a blunt impact injury to the head.
Destini Smothers (left) and police at the scene on March 10, 2021 (NYPD and Citizen)
Featured Events
